After her daughter hadn’t been seen for over an hour at their shared workplace, Walmart, one panicked mother alerted her colleagues.
For hours, she searched frantically — until she made a chilling discovery.
On October 19, a horrific tragedy unfolded at the Walmart Bakery in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
After not seeing her 19-year-old daughter for over an hour, a mother began to search for her inside the store. She made attempts to call her daughter, only to find that her phone was unreachable.
In desperation, she reached out to the on-site administration for assistance in locating her loved one. After a frantic search, it was reported that the mother opened an oven, only to discover her daughter’s ”charred remains.”
Needless to say, the shocking discovery left everyone involved in utter disbelief.
Imagine the horror her mother must have felt when she opened the oven door after someone had pointed it out to her.
“We are heartbroken, and our deepest thoughts are with our associate and their family. Our focus remains on taking care of our associates and making sure they have the support they need,” a Walmart spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement.
Had big dreams
According to police updates, the deceased young woman in question “was located in a large walk-in oven belonging to the store’s bakery department.”
As the investigation continues, the store will remain closed until further notice. In a show of solidarity and remembrance, flowers have been placed on a pole in the store parking lot.
The woman was later identified as Gursimran Kaur – a beautiful young girl who came to Canada with big dreams.
Kaur, who immigrated from India, had worked at Walmart alongside her mother for two years. Both mother and daughter were active members of the Sikh community in Halifax, regularly attending the local gurdwara, or worship center.
Community has rallied
“It’s pretty distressing, you know, young people come here with all kinds of hopes and dreams, and they’re working hard, and then this is what happens,” Satnam Singh Randhawa, chair of the Maritime Sikh Society board, shared with CBC News.
In the wake of this tragedy, the community has rallied together to support the grieving family, particularly Gursimran’s mother, who is understandably traumatized.
“Of course, the immediate family is absolutely shocked. They are in kind of a trauma,” Seyan, a member of the community, shared.
Mother is traumatized
”The first day I saw her (the mother) was the day the incident happened. She was really distraught. She was really in great pain,” Randhawa told NBC News.
Throughout the week, the Sikh Society has organized fundraising efforts for the family, and the outpouring of support has been tremendous. As of Friday, October 25, a GoFundMe campaign established on behalf of the family has raised nearly $193,000 CAD.
“Target has been reached, and we are grateful for everyone’s kindness and generosity. We are unable to pause the fundraiser ourselves for some reason, so we have requested GoFundMe to close it from their side. They are looking into it at this time,” the campaign organizers stated.
The goal now is to arrange for Gursimran’s father and her 10-year-old brother, who remain in India, to fly to Canada during this unimaginably difficult time.
According to the Daily Mail, the oven in question was industrial-sized and large enough for a person to step inside. Disturbing audio from the emergency services dispatch call has since been released, revealing the unfolding tragedy to first responders.
The dispatch officer reported: “There is a female locked in an oven in the bakery.” The officer added: “The oven is on, and it’s unclear if the staff can turn it off.”
This heartbreaking loss really serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing our loved ones. Let us continue to hold Gursimran’s family in our thoughts!
